Last week, Washington State junior U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell joined in the Obama administration’s curious war on American jobs. The newest target in Cantwell’s sights is a large proposed project in a sparsely populated corner of Southwest Alaska called the Pebble Mine, an undertaking to unearth rare natural resources that could provide thousands of well-paid jobs and millions in tax revenue to an area that is currently impoverished.

Even before the project has applied for permits, while plans for the Pebble Mine are being worked on and costly studies conducted, Cantwell has already requested the Environmental Protection Administration invoke subsection 404(c) of the Clean Water Act. Subsection 404(c) denies the disposal of dredge spoils or fill onto any land potentially draining into the nearby Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers.

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The Pebble Partnership has already invested more than $120 million on environmental and socioeconomic studies associated with the Pebble Mine proposal, research that would be open to the scrutiny of the EPA, the Congress, environmental activists, and the public, if it were not for Cantwell’s move to preempt. They anticipate spending several times that amount by the time the 70 required state and federal permits have been obtained for the project. (Emphasis mine.)

How many millions can job creators be asked to forfeit before they take their toys and go somewhere else to play?

3 responses to “Why Does Maria Cantwell Hate Jobs For Americans?”

The National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Critical Mineral Impacts of the US Economy has noted that while copper is certainly essential to the economy, the mineral is not in a critical state of supply. There are other copper deposits out there that do not sit a top spawning habitat for the world’s largest salmon ecosystem.

The Bristol Bay commercial fishery alone supports over 12,000 jobs, the sport fishing industry generates $166 million for the state, and the fishery as a whole provides roughly $450 – $500 million a year in regionally driven revenue. Let’s not forget the native communities that have subsisted off of this vital salmon ecosystem for thousands of years, this issue goes well beyond jobs to livelihood, culture, and history.

There is not one example of an open pit mine not polluting the surrounding watersheds. I guess you’re willing to trade 12,000 sustainable jobs for a couple of thousand mining jobs that will be long gone while the damage to the habitat will remain in perpetuity.

Oh, and the companies that are developing that proposed project? UK and Canadian based.

Our society has been built on the value of ignoring perceived impossibilities when setting our goals. Just because something hasn’t yet been done, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. All advancements had to first cross a threshold that had never been crossed.

Following your logic, we’d all still be living in caves and wondering what those opposable thumbs were for.